


Building Blocks

by honey_hill



Series: Tools of the Trade [2]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, F/F, Lena Luthor & Maggie Sawyer Friendship, Social Media, background sanvers, disgusting gay fluff, famous au, fluff mostly, maybe a little bit of humor?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-01
Updated: 2017-11-01
Packaged: 2019-01-27 14:28:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 17,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12583868
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/honey_hill/pseuds/honey_hill
Summary: The continuation ofTools of the Tradethat was supposed to be just the first date and got a little out of hand.Alternatively,#karlena does something, and Twitter (and Alex) loses its collective mind. Again.





	Building Blocks

**Author's Note:**

> First, I would really like to thank my fellow pelican disliking buddy, [@thegrimllama](http://thegrimllama.tumblr.com/) for being an amazing beta and helping me make this readable. Without her I would still be reading through and editing and then I'd post this, but it would suck.  
> I would highly recommend visiting her [AO3 to read](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheGrimLlama/pseuds/TheGrimLlama) some of the awesome stuff she's put out!
> 
> Second, I'd like to thank the amazing [@chloebeale](http://chloebeale.tumblr.com/) for that little treat at the bottom. And as always, visit his awesome fics [here](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bechloehuh/pseuds/eliseboobman).
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this stupidly long excuse of me trying to not write their first date.

Kara grunts and buries her head further under the pillows while Lena turns away from the noise reverberating throughout the room.  Lena’s head pounds in time with the knocks, and she shifts to brace her feet upon Kara’s side, ready to push her out of bed.

“Make it stop,” she groans. Her voice holds the rasp of a late night of alcohol and boisterous laughter despite still being deep with sleep.

Kara mumbles something unintelligible and with a light shove of Lena’s feet, reluctantly rolls out of bed to pad to the doorway.

“Kara, clothes,” Lena reminds her, already having turned around and settled back into the mattress, welcoming the tendrils of sleep that start to pull her back under. She hears a grunt of acknowledgement and follows the sound of Kara’s footsteps as she steps into the bathroom to grab a robe.

Lena listens as Kara flips the lock and opens the door, anticipating her soft voice warning whomever was attempting to break down their door away, already missing the warmth of Kara wrapped around her.

What she doesn’t expect to hear is Kara’s startled “shit,” followed by the slam of the door.

Whatever ounce of sleep that still clings to Lena immediately vanishes. She sits up, eyes wide as Alex storms into the room with a confused and sheepish Kara following behind. Lena scrambles to pull the sheets up over her chest while glaring at the brunette.

Kara sits on the edge of the bed, warily watching as Alex paces back and forth in front of them. Her circuits are short, impeded by the desk in the corner of the hotel room, but each step seems to fall with a sharp beat. Lena has never seen Alex this angry before. Annoyed, sure. Irritated, definitely. But angry enough to track them down in their hotel room? She glances at Kara nervously. Kara watches her sister pace, a nervous and guilty look crinkling her forehead.

The lack of yelling and lecturing almost lulls Lena back into sleep. The rhythm of Alex’s footsteps, the even breathing, even the sound of Alex’s grinding teeth, all creating a symphony that soothes Lena’s slight headache and relaxes her. That’s not to say that Alex’s angry pacing is soothing, just that this isn’t the first time Lena has been subjected to it. This isn’t even the first time Lena has been subjected to it concerning something in her and Kara’s relationship. But it’s familiar enough that Lena falls back in bed, closing her eyes and breathing deeply as she waits for Alex to get on with it.

She’s maybe a minute into relaxing when a pillow pelts her in the face. Lena sits up quickly, easily throwing the pillow back at Alex. She forgets about the sheet as it falls to her lap and grins in triumph as Alex recovers from the pillow only to nearly fall into the dresser in an attempt to avert her eyes from Lena’s chest.

“Oh give it a rest, Alex,” Lena scoffs, “everybody’s seen them, quit being such a prude.”

Alex growls, but Lena’s words kickstart the rant she came to deliver.

“You guys got married?!”

Lena sees Kara scrunch up with a barely suppressed squeal. The words, paired with the new ring settled comfortably on her third finger, fill Lena with a warmth. She knows the feeling is reflected on her face, but she answers as stoically as she is able, unwilling to let Alex’s irritation with them smother the happiness the words bring up.

“We did.”

She reaches next to her, grasping for Kara’s hand, and squeezes gently when Kara tangles their fingers together.

Alex glares at their entwined hands. “And you didn’t think to tell any of us? Invite us, perhaps? Let us finish planning the wedding and all the fun stuff that accompanies that?” She turns to Kara a disbelieving look now on her face. “What about the wedding cake, Kara? I would’ve thought that everything considered you at least would’ve had a real wedding for the chance to try wedding cakes.”

Lena feels Kara slump next to her. She turns to her wife, taking in the regretful frown and the sad eyes staring back at her. “We forgot about the cake, Lena.” Of course that would be the worst part of this deal for Kara, Lena thinks. Lena reaches over and pulls Kara into an embrace, holding back a chuckle at Kara’s heartbroken whisper. “How did we forget about the cake?”

“We’ll get a cake when we get back home Kara. Just for the both of us.”

Kara nods at Lena’s reassurance, but remains leaning into her embrace. Lena looks back to her sister in law.

“How did you know we were here?”

“How do you think?” Alex asks with a roll of her eyes. She digs her phone out of her pocket, unlocking it and navigating to the app she wants before tossing it to Lena.

Lena catches it easily, taking in the screen and scoffing. She hands it to Kara who merely sighs.

 **Perez Hilton** @PerezHilton  
#Karlena take a trip to Vegas and are seen wearing rings on some very important fingers! More pictures: goo.gl/8Nr41G

 **TMZ** @TMZ  
#Karlena Elopes in Vegas! [Karlena Elopes in Vegas! Pictures and accounts from eyewitnesses. Tmz.com]

 **Kelsey B** @kelseybergin  
I swear I just saw @karadanvers and @lenaluthr walk out of my hotel’s chapel. #theylookedsohappy #karlena #justmarried? 

 

>   
>  **Lena’s left eyebrow** @fannonnotcannon  
>  OMG! Please tell me this is real! #karlena AHHH!  
>    
>  **Karlena Damnvers** @shipposting  
>  Love is alive, my crops are watered, my skin is clear and my depression is gone. #karlena #bestnewsever

It figures that a life event this big would be preyed upon by the thirsty gossipmongers. Lena isn’t surprised by how quickly the news spread or that Alex had been able to track them down just four hours after she and Kara had gone to sleep.

Lena reaches over the bed, pulling the shirt she had worn earlier last night to her and shrugging it on. Nudity didn’t bother her exactly— she was used to baring it all for the world to see, though normally she did get a pretty hefty sum of money for it. But as much as she enjoyed making Alex uncomfortable, she didn’t exactly want to completely reveal herself to her sister-in-law. Alex sees her buttoning her shirt and tosses a pair of Kara’s pajama pants at her. Lena nods her head in thanks and slips them on before getting up to rifle through her things on the floor to locate her phone.

The battery is low, but it’s still alive enough to display the dozens of notifications. She’s glad she had the foresight to keep push notifications off her social media accounts. She is sure if she hadn’t her phone wouldn’t even be able to load all of the mentions and tags they’re sure to have accumulated. As it is, the group chats for her and Kara’s friend group and the chat for the cast of _Canterbury_ have hundreds of messages for her waiting to be read and replied to. Not to mention Jess has called her no less than a dozen times and her texts are getting more and more aggressive with each ignored message.

“Jess is pissed,” she tells Kara. She rifles through the rest of their stuff and tosses Kara her phone to let her look at what people are saying.

“Did you plan for this?” Alex looks between them, taking in their unsurprised reactions to being caught.

“Duh,” Kara answers. Her attention is firmly on her phone, a new expression crossing her face with each new message she reads.

Lena nods at Alex. She plugs her phone in and settles back on the bed next to Kara, ready to calm the masses.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Lena was nervous. A good nervous, the kind that is usually followed by a big life change. When she decided to come to LA for the first time, she was nervous. When she first got cast in _Canterbury_ she was nervous almost to the point of vomiting.  This was like that, but at the same time nothing like it at all.

She was confident. Having her weaknesses exploited her entire childhood, Lena didn’t allow people close enough to see them. But as she tightened her grip on the phone in her hand and her steps faltered as she approached the table, she considered letting her nerves take over and walk the other way.

Kara would understand, she was sure. She’d be hurt, probably almost as hurt as Lena herself, but she would understand.

But when Lena got closer to the table, taking in the blonde with her back to her, she couldn’t  seem to make herself turn around and give in. She could feel her heart pounding, the sweat dampening her palms, her knees tremble as she finally stilled just behind her date.

After months of texts, calls, and facetiming, Lena felt safe with Kara. They’d talked about everything, from childhood memories to favorite ways to tease their siblings. This was hardly a first date. A first date, traditionally, was where people get to know one another, learned to be comfortable in their presence. Lena already knew she was comfortable around Kara. Had seen her first thing in the morning before she’d truly woken up, in the middle of being made up before filming. She’d seen her in designer clothing and a holey Dodgers shirt and stained sweats.

No, this was not a first date. This was an extension of what they had already been doing — just face to face instead of face to screen. She felt more excited now instead of nervous. She no longer felt like she might flee as her adrenaline calmed into something warm and _good_.

“Kara,” her voice was soft in the clamor of the restaurant, but Kara heard it. She turned in her chair, eyes bright and excited. Lena noticed the twisted napkin and white knuckles and immediately felt better. Kara’s nerves set her own at ease, and she felt, truly knew, deep down, that this could only be the beginning of something great.

 

* * *

 

 

“ _I can’t believe you_ ,” Kara winces at the shrill tone Jess’s voice, despite being halfway across the room. “ _You owe me a raise for dealing with this bullcrap. Do you know how many calls I’ve had to field? Too many, Lena!”_

She tries not to laugh at the exasperation in her manager’s voice, she really does, but Lena has known Jess for years.  She can hear the tint of amusement in her words, the fond exasperation coating her sharp syllables.  She can’t help but let a quiet chuckle pass her lips and grins when Kara looks back at her.

“ _Are you laughing at me?!_ ”

“No!” Lena tries to reassure, “I was trying to clear my throat.” It’s a weak excuse.

“ _Liar_ .” There’s silence on the line but Lena can hear Jess taking deep calming breaths. “ _Do you have your statement ready or am I releasing one for you?_ ”

“We have one ready,” Lena looks to her wife, who nods at Lena, and Lena sits at the desk where they had spent the last hour with Alex formulating the words that would confirm the rumors.

“ _Let’s hear it,”_ Jess sounds tired through the phone and Lena vows to send her on a relaxing vacation as soon as she and Kara get back from their honeymoon.

“Kara and I have been in love for over two years. While this may seem like a sudden whim to some, to us it is the inevitable progression of our relationship, and the decision was anything but light. We thank you for the well-wishes and the enthusiasm shown, but we request our privacy be respected so that we may revel in the joy of being newly married.” The words are polite, but firm. They leave no room for misinterpretation, and Lena can only hope that she and Kara won’t be hounded too much in the coming months.

Jess sighs. “ _Is that all you want to say on the matter?_ ”

“Yes.”

“ _I’ll release it then. Please post that on your instagram with some stupid sappy gay picture you guys like to post. It’ll make my life easier and you might have a manager when your extra ass decides to come back.”_

Lena scoffs about to retort when Kara takes the phone out of her hand with a warning look. “We will Jess, thank you!”

Kara hangs the phone up and tosses it on the bed. “Now, I believe Alex is waiting for us for brunch, so we better go before she comes back up here and actually kicks both our asses.”

Lena groans and shoots a wistful look towards the now-made bed. “Your sister needs to chill,” she says. She reluctantly gets up and follows Kara towards the door, stopping only to grab her purse.

“She’s your sister now, too,” Kara points out as they make their way to the elevator.

Lena tries to hold back a grin at the reminder, but she’s sure Kara can make it out considering the blonde’s own grin.

The ride down to the lobby is blissfully quiet, aided by Kara’s insistence at holding the door close button the entire way down, no doubt. They’re able to stay in their bubble for just a little longer, so Lena takes the opportunity to lean upon Kara. Her warmth and steadiness give Lena the strength she needs to make it through breakfast and the day ahead of them.

The lobby is lively with patrons checking in and going to explore the Vegas strip, but Alex’s presence immediately draws their eyes. They make their way over to her, Lena gripping Kara’s hand tightly as she feels eyes follow them.

“We need to get out of here,” Alex observes when they meet up. She glares at the people blatantly staring, flipping off cameras taking video to make them unsellable.

“There’s a cafe just around the corner that the cast always talk about,” Kara suggests. Lena nods and Alex agrees that it sounds like a good idea.

The walk is blissfully short, not enough time for Lena to overheat in the dry Las Vegas air. The weather on the west coast has always been a bit much for Lena to bear, particularly during the summer months. The sun was much stronger than it was in Dalkey, often flushing Lena within a few minutes and burning her in just a short time more. The weather is something she hates the most about L.A., and too many times she has nearly given up just to enjoy the cooler climate of Ireland. It’s only the absence of Kara that’s kept Lena in L.A. longer than she’d like to admit, but if she thrives in the cooler climates, Kara absolutely blossoms in the warmth, and Lena won’t ever take that away from her. Except, perhaps, for the occasional holiday. The constant moisturizing is great for her skin too, so at least the dry climate is good for Lena in other aspects. It helps too, that she can hardly go anywhere without sunglasses. The extra protection from the sun helps to hide her identity, often letting her travel and shop without being subjected to scrutiny from fans and critics alike.

While normally hiding behind her sunglasses would work, the attention drawn by the aura of the Danvers sisters radiate renders them ineffectual against being noticed. Eyes are drawn to them, whispers follow, a few flashes of cameras spot Lena’s vision.

“Why you guys chose Vegas is beyond me,” Alex mutters under her breath.

“Didn’t have the waiting period here,” Kara answers back.

“The waiting period would’ve stopped you idiots from making a rash decision.”

“Alex,” Lena warns. The taller brunette huffs but says no more.

They reach the cafe and are seated almost immediately in a cool and quiet corner, Kara introducing Lena as her ex-girlfriend to both the hostess and their waiter, giggling when Lena clarifies that she is her wife. They order and sit in silence, Kara next to Lena and Alex across from them, arms crossed and regarding them critically.

“Kara, you need to call mom,” Alex tells her at last. Her tone holds a hint of smugness, knowing Eliza’s sure outrage at being excluded from the wedding of her daughter. Kara pales at the reminder.

“I’ll do it,” Lena says, resting a hand on Kara’s thigh in support.

Alex raises an eyebrow, but doesn’t question Lena’s decision. “So, what’s next?” She asks.

“Well, traditionally after two people get married they’re allowed to disappear for a few weeks,” Lena starts facetiously, “Typically on these trips, newlyweds get to explore the world, have sex, and-”

“I know what a honeymoon is, you nerd. I meant how are you going to handle the media shitstorm waiting for you?”

It’s Kara who answers this time. “We kind of weren’t going to?” Alex tilts her head, gesturing for her to continue. “We were just going to let the media die out, focus on another new piece of gossip. Lena’s back filming for the final season of _Canterbury_ in a month, so we were just going to kind of lay low until she has to go back to work.”

“How do you think that’s going to happen?”

“We just aren’t going to answer questions about our relationship or our marriage,” Lena says. “If somebody asks we’ll change the topic. Bring up a social issue that needs more awareness, or how excited we are for our next project.”

“You know people are just going to keep after you until you give them something to work with, right?”

“We are,” Kara confirms, “We fully plan on giving someone an exclusive. We just, well, want to wait for everything to settle down a little first.”

Alex seems to accept this answer and says nothing more. Soon enough, their waitress comes with their food, setting down four plates. Kara and Alex start eating as if everything is normal while Lena stares at the fourth plate in confusion. She didn’t even hear Alex order another meal.

“Who’s- Ah,” she begins to ask, but her question is answered when Maggie plops herself next to Alex, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek while Alex eats.

“Lost all our money, babe,” Maggie says before digging into her avocado salad.

Alex pauses, her full fork halfway to her mouth. “All of it?” Maggie nods, not bothered a bit by Alex’s glare. “I gave you five hundred bucks! You’ve been gone for an hour, how did you lose all of it?”

“Apparently putting everything on black is a bad idea,” Maggie shrugs. She shoots Lena a subtle wink and smirk, and Lena has to hold back her own smile.

Alex puts her fork down, mouth hanging open in indignation. “I can’t believe- I told you not to- why would you even play,” Alex’s words are short, her voice stepping up in octave and volume with each unfinished sentence.

Kara looks at them worriedly, her mouth full of food and cheeks slightly puffy. Lena reaches over with her napkin to wipe away sauce from Kara’s lower lips and grab her attention. She raises an eyebrow at her wife before shooting a look to where Alex is still sputtering at Maggie.

Understanding breaks across Kara’s face and with a tame smile, she goes back to eating, her hand settled warmly on Lena’s thigh.

 

 

* * *

 

 

When Lena was fourteen, she lost her brother. The only person she had ever felt was truly there for her, and one day he was just… gone. She watched him turn from the person she adored most in the world to a dangerous stranger intent on taking her down. It seemed to happen overnight, though she knew it must have been coming on for a while. Sometimes, usually late at night when she was feeling especially broody, she wondered how busy she must have been to not notice the warning signs; how self-absorbed and focused outward to have missed the signs. How long had it had been since she had truly hung out with him?

It happened on a Friday night. The incident. She had just gotten home from her voice coach — Lillian was always trying to push Lena to be better, be worth more, be worthy of the Luthor name— and was walking up the stairs when the light to the upstairs hallway turned on.

She looked up, squinting in the sudden brightness. She was surprised to see her brother standing above her, his silhouette backlit by the hall light, darkening his features and making him seem far more sinister than Lena knew — thought — he was. His curly hair was a mess, haloed by the light above them. The shadows dropped over his eyes, hiding the warm hazel and making them seem like endless pits of cold darkness.

She remembered asking him what he was doing, confused when his reply didn’t make any sense. It sounded slurred, with anger or suspicion, but not substance.

She remembered backing up, carefully moving her foot to the stair below her, her hand tight on the rail.

She remembered him following her step back with a step forward of his own.

She remembered calling out, for Lillian, her father, literally anyone for help.

She remembered Lex leaning forward.

She didn’t remember the fall or much of what happened after. She did remember flashes. Lex straddling her, his pale, shaky hand holding a knife at her throat, the other wrapped securely around her neck. Of his thighs tightening their grip on her ribcage, holding her arms down and making escape impossible. She remembered him gone, Lionel and Lillian screaming at each other, Lillian holding Lex back as she struggled.

She didn’t remember Lionel coming home and seeing his son digging a knife into his daughter’s neck. She doesn’t remember Lillian’s casual descent from the stairs, only outraged when she saw Lex’s prone form sprawled away from where Lionel was checking Lena over.

She didn’t remember any of this happening, but she had been told of it.

She did remember the months-long recuperation, the concussion, severely bruised hip, and broken wrist. She could still see the faded pale scar just under her jaw in the right lighting. Still made sure to leave the lights on in her house when she knew she would be home late.

Though it happened more than a decade ago, Lena was still affected by the event. Still reluctant and anxious when she made the rare visit to her brother, ignoring his apologies, even though she knew he had no idea what was happening to him either.

It was five months into dating Kara when she agreed to meet her sisters.

A month and a half longer than Kara had been asking, trying to convince Lena that it wasn’t too soon to meet them, but the natural progression, that it would happen anyway, that they would love Lena just as much as Kara.

It wasn’t that easy for Lena. Kara’s reassurances did nothing to convince Lena, or erase her past experiences with older siblings. It also didn’t help that literally everybody adored them.

Alex and Maggie’s romance was like a love story. The actress meeting children at a community event catching the social worker organizing it from across the field. A stuttered, and as Kara told it (though Alex will deny vehemently whenever the topic is brought up) embarrassing first meeting that led to coffee, which led to a date, which led to their lives entwining and Hollywood falling in love as quickly as they had.

They were the epitome of the modern love story, and Lena was more than nervous to meet them, afraid they would judge her and Kara’s relationship or deem it weaker or less than their own.

She wasn’t reluctant to meet them, however. She’d always wanted to meet Alex, ever since Kara brought her up on their first date. Regaling Lena of stories in which Kara herself had merely been the supporting character; where Alex was always the hero; the one rescuing Kara from bullies, the one that made Kara feel better after not getting a callback, the only person that came to Kara’s rescue and defense after a costar tried to proposition her on set. Alex is very much Kara’s hero, and even knowing of her from her own social circles, Lena could barely wait to meet her.

And from her numerous comments on Kara’s social media, Lena knew Maggie would be a wonderful friend. From her humor, Lena knew she and Maggie would hopefully get along, at the very least.

Her fears were not limited to the judgement of her future sister-in-laws, however. While she wanted to meet them, the only thing that truly put her off was the thought of rushing her relationship with Kara. She didn’t want to put too much strain on something still new. Though she and Kara may not have entirely gone in the traditional times of their relationship, Lena can almost confidently say she was in love with Kara. And though they’ve been exchanging the words in private, she doesn’t want the judgement from others or be the stereotypical lesbian that U-Hauls on the second date.

She wanted to make sure she and Kara lasted. Wanted to take her time and enjoy the beginning of something that could very realistically be it for Lena. She also didn’t want to meet Alex and Maggie and get attached to them, used to their presence in her life, only to lose their friendship if she and Kara broke up. She didn’t want to end up even more heartbroken than she knew she would be if they didn’t make it.

Kara reassured her every time she brought her fears up. Telling her that she was just as in as Lena was, that as long as they talked about their problems and didn’t let them fester they would be fine. Told Lena that she loved her, and that even if she wasn’t ready to meet them now, she would wait.

And wait Kara did. It still took Lena another month to agree to finally meet them, confident Kara was just as serious as she was and knowing that it was time to meet Kara’s family.

They all decided on a date in early February. It was the only time they would all be free— with Alex leaving in a few weeks to film on location and Lena returning to Scotland to continue filming _Canterbury_ right after Valentine’s Day.

Despite Lena’s own decision to meet them, and Kara’s reassurance that it would be fine and Alex and Maggie would love her, she was still nervous. She carried the tension with her throughout the day, her heart feeling like it would leap out of her chest at sudden noises and movements.

She declined Lucy’s offer for Lena to accompany her to the gym and work off some nervous energy— something that caused Lucy to start in on the sex jokes and innuendo when she declined for a different kind of anxiety relief. Instead Lena frantically cleaned the house she shared with Lucy. Kara wasn’t much help, having been called into work for ADR until the late afternoon.

By the time Lena pulled up to the studio to pick Kara up, she was a nervous wreck. She had spent longer than she would like to admit choosing an outfit for the night, only finally settling on one when Lucy started throwing things at her, claiming “It’s a game night, Lena! You don’t need to go designer!”

She adjusted it nervously as Kara got in the car, giving her a peck before she settled in.

“Are you ready for this?” Kara asked, not looking up from buckling her seatbelt.

Lena made a noncommittal grunt that sounded more like a whine, and turned her indicator on to turn out of the lot. She saw Kara look up at her out of the corner of her eye, the crinkle prominent enough to see on her periphery.

“Lena?”

Lena tightened her grip on the wheel and swallowed harshly, trying to hide the shake in her hands.

“We don’t have to go.”

Lena looked to Kara, disbelief mixed with resignation coloring her expression. Despite the hint of relief she felt at Kara’s out, she continued driving, knowing that she had to get this over with at some point. She could almost physically feel herself falling more for Kara, the blonde’s concern over Lena and her acceptance of Lena’s limitations comforting and not at all pitying was something Lena never thought she would get to experience. The nerves settled a bit with Kara’s kind words. Her hands remained tight around the wheel though, the nervousness for the upcoming situation unable to be relieved with just a few kind words, no matter how much they meant to Lena.

No matter how much she wanted to take Kara up on her offer of an out, Lena knew she couldn’t. Cancelling a night planned weeks in advance was one thing, but disappointing Kara was a frightening concept in its own right, and Lena was terrified of losing that piece of trust Kara had placed in her.

“Yes,” she assured Kara. Her voice was steadier now under Kara’s concerned gaze, “We do… It’s been set up for weeks.”

“Not if it makes you this uncomfortable.” Kara reached over and gently pried Lena’s hand from the wheel, smoothing the cool skin until some warmth returned then entwining their fingers between them. “This isn’t supposed to be stressful, Lena. It’s supposed to be fun.”

Lena relaxed further, taking strength from Kara’s warm, steady hand holding hers. She loosened the grip of her other hand on the wheel, and melted back into her seat. She wanted to cry from the unending support she received from Kara. Shaking herself, she inhaled, ignoring the stuttered breath, and smiled lovingly at her girlfriend.

“It will be.” Kara’s eyes were still wary, the worry she felt evident with the crinkle between her eyebrows. “I just want to make a good impression,” Lena admitted.

Kara chuckled at that, her reassuring smile turning bright and shifting into a more playful smirk. “I don’t think you know how to not make a good impression.”

Lena stopped at a stop sign and took the opportunity to shoot Kara a skeptical look before pulling forward and continuing on their way.

“Really! I don’t think I’ve ever met anybody who hasn’t sung your praises,” Kara mused, turning to watch the road bathed pink in the setting sun. She was quiet for a few moments, musing something with a soft smile. When she spoke again, it was quiet and more wondrous than her tone had been, “People love you.”

Lena didn’t know what to say. She never thought of herself as someone people would actively seek out to get to know; try to get close to. She tried to be polite and friendly to everyone she met, but a childhood of struggling to stand out or face rejection of those who were supposed to love her unconditionally shaped her insecurities and allowed them to grow. She squeezed Kara’s hand, still warm and steady in her own, in lieu of a reply and continued to drive to Alex and Maggie’s house.

Sensing Lena’s need for quiet, Kara kept their hands together, occasionally giving Lena clarifying directions. They arrived not too long after, and Lena’s nerves had somewhat settled. She shoulders were still tense and she could feel her back straighten and steel against the impending meeting.

The streetlamps illuminated the quiet neighborhood, casting a comforting glow behind the still bare branches of the many trees lining the street. It was a charming neighborhood to be sure. The houses were a little bigger here, but still nice. Not cookie cutter like the newer neighborhoods in the suburbs of Los Angeles. Lena watched a cat saunter its way across the road into a grassy yard and tried to ignore the feeling of Kara’s gaze on her.

They sat for a few minutes in silence, Lena again thinking about how wonderful Kara was to her. She didn’t question Lena’s wordless plea to let her compose herself, didn’t try to assure her again that it would be alright. At this point, Lena knew that Kara had figured her out enough that she just needed a moment to ready herself.

With a clearing of her throat and a decisive nod, Lena took her hand back, unbuckling her seatbelt. She exited the car and walked around to Kara’s side, closing the door behind her girlfriend and started up the sidewalk, stride long and sure.

“Wait,” she said, stopping. She turned around and walked the few steps back to her girlfriend, her hand reaching up to Kara’s face and gently guiding her to her lips. The kiss was quick, but comforting, and Lena hoped her thanks was clear.

“Okay,” she cleared her throat and tried to catch her breath, “Now I’m ready.”

Kara looked back with a grin as they made their way up the sidewalk to the stairs. Lena, only half a step behind, smiled shakily back, casting her eyes back to the darkened porch.

A blink was all it took. Her eyes opened to a sight she hadn’t seen in over thirteen years. Lena’s breath came in short gasps as she stared up at Lex’s backlit figure approaching her—hair still as wild as it was, shadows set deep over his eyes—his arms outstretched and a manic grin on his face. As quickly as she could, she brought her purse up, protecting her throat from the inevitable pain that she knew was on its way.

But the pain never came.

Not to her throat.

Her heart dropped, freezing her limbs, catching her erratic breath deep in her chest, burning her insides as the world slipped from under her feet.

Crazed hands grasped at Lena’s forearms as her knees hit the pavement and she struggled against them as they drew hysterical sobs from her throat.

The hands —not Lex’s, they were too soft. The hands reached Lena’s cheeks, stroking away the haze of her panic. Murky green shifted to familiar blue, steadying Lena’s labored breathing with the gentle soothe of Kara’s voice.

She’d barely caught her breath, the shame of her panic still burning in the depths of her chest as she noticed Kara’s sister glancing worriedly from the open doorway. Lena tried focussing on Kara’s words, dragging her attention from Alex, fighting through the sound of her harsh breaths scraping her raw throat and her heart pounding in her ears, back to Kara.

“Hey… Easy, you’re alright, Lena.”

It wasn’t until Lena had registered the words, that she realized she was on the ground. She slammed her eyes shut. Blinking and squeezing back the emotion that was trying to force its way to the surface. There was another cool hand, gently squeezing her forearm— a physical reminder to Lena that it hadn’t been Kara who’d spoken, but Maggie.

Maggie, who had managed to both calm Kara and ease Lena from the depths of a full-fledged panic attack, simultaneously.

Her voice was quiet and firm, and Lena blinked to clear the rest of the haze away. She eyed Maggie, still wary of the presence of someone she didn’t entirely know. The social worker’s calm presence allowed Lena to return to herself more fully, and she swallowed against her dry throat and squeezed her eyes shut again, trying to chase the sudden headache away.

Lena took a deep, shuddering breath.

“There ya go,” Maggie said. Her hand rubbed soothingly over Lena’s arm.

“I’m sorry.” Lena’s voice wavered and broke, but the apology was sincere.

“No need to be,” Maggie shrugged. She shifted so she was settled more comfortably on the ground next to Lena, her back against the car.

Lena didn’t respond. What was there to say, really? How would she even begin to make this better? Why would Kara or her family want to stay around Lena once they’d seen what a mess she really was?

She looked down and started picking at her cuticles to give her mind something new to focus on. She glanced up at the house, noticing for the first time that the front door was open, but Kara and Alex were nowhere to be found. She hoped she didn’t scare them off. A wave of self-loathing passed through her so violently that she shuddered against the feeling.

She _would_ be the one to ruin the night; embarrass herself in front of her girlfriend, her girlfriend’s family. Why would Alex approve of her after this? Why would Kara stick around? Why would Kara want her when she could have literally anybody she wanted? How would she and Maggie get closer after making her sit with her on the cold concrete of the sidewalk in the dark?

Lena scoffed at herself, roughly dragging her fingers through her hair. The work she put into styling it forgotten as her fingers snag on curls. She could feel Maggie’s gaze, but shook her head. She had nothing to say.

“Nobody’s judging you, Lena.”

Lena dropped her hands and looked to Maggie.

“Really. It happens, I see it all the time. None of us are going to judge you for something you can’t control.”

Lena shook her head, her doubts swirling and flooding her mind. She should have been able to control it. It was ridiculous that she even had a panic attack to begin with. She was over what happened with her brother. Years of therapy was supposed to have taken care of it, and it _had._ Until tonight, that is. And now she had ruined the evening.

Lena shifted, putting her hands on the concrete and feeling the small grooves dig in. “I should go.”

“What?” Maggie looked to her in alarm.

“I’ve already ruined the night,” Lena shrugged and pushed herself up. Still shaky, she leaned back against the car while Maggie scrambled to follow her. “It would probably be better if I left. Let you guys fix it.”

“Hey, no.” Maggie stood next to Lena, a firm, but still comforting, hand coming to rest on her arm, anchoring her. “You haven’t ruined anything,” Maggie assured. “Kara and Alex are inside finishing dinner and waiting for us. Kara’s worried sick about you, what would she think if you just left?”

Though it was a rhetorical question, Lena muttered an answer, “Probably be thankful that she wouldn’t have to deal with me.”

“That is not true,” Maggie shook her head vehemently. Her mouth set in a firm line, but her gaze was still warm and kind. “That girl is so in love with you she can hardly help herself. Every time you walk into a room it’s like the sun has finally risen for her. If you left Lena, it would break her heart. She wants to be there for you. Just let her.”

Lena sighed, but nodded in agreement. She owed it to Kara, if not Maggie now as well. She didn’t want to let either of them down.

“Okay.”

Maggie smiled thankfully, dimples flashing.

Lena looked back to the house, nodding to herself. “Okay.”

“Whenever you’re ready.”

 

 

* * *

 

Lena looks fondly at her family as Maggie teases her wife. Kara entwines their hands as they each watch, grinning as Alex seems to finally realize that Maggie was messing with her. Scowling at her wife, Alex turns back to her food and ignores Maggie’s attempts at smoothing things over.

“So where are you two going?” Maggie asks, giving up in her attempts.

Kara and Lena look to each other, small private smiles for only for the other on their faces. Lena turns back first, her excitement for their trip evident. “Iceland.”

Alex studies them both, brows furrowed in confusion. “Iceland?”

Kara nods enthusiastically, putting her fork down on her plate and untangling her hand from Lena’s. “It’s so gorgeous there! And there are puffins! They’re so small and cute, have you seen their beaks?” She gestures enthusiastically, “There are black sand beaches and glaciers, and hot springs! We get to see the northern lights, Alex!”

Lena dodges a flying hand, fond exasperation coloring her expression as she catches Kara’s hand on the next gesture and entwines their fingers again. “We want to enjoy peace and quiet in the beauty of nature,” she answers the question she knows Alex really wants the answer to, “to settle into our life together in a way that takes away the pressure off being famous.”

“Damn,” Maggie says, swallowing her mouthful of food, “that was really gay.”

Lena shoots her a deadpan look.

“At least it’s not as cliche as Hawaii,” Kara mutters.

“What was that?” Alex pipes up, shooting her sister a glare.

Kara widens her eyes, innocently shaking her head.

Lena chuckles at the sisters’ antics. She almost feels overwhelmed by all the love flowing through her. She has never been more in love with Kara than she is at this moment, and she’s never truly felt more like she belonged anywhere than right here. She can hardly keep the smile off her face as she watches Kara deny having said anything and Alex’s playful jabs. She knows it’s in good fun, but when she hears a groan come from Maggie she tears her eyes away, raising an eyebrow in question.

“You guys are absolutely revolting,” Maggie says, shaking her head at her phone as she types something in.

“Hey!”

“Not you, babe,” she gestures across the table at Kara and Lena, “them.”

“Oh, okay.” Alex shrugs and takes a sip of her mimosa, leaning back into the chair.

“We are not,” Kara sputters.

“We kind of are.” Kara looks over at her in betrayal, but Lena shrugs. She knows there’s no denying it. She can hardly keep herself from having some sort of physical contact with Kara, she’s ridiculously happy, why wouldn’t she revel in it? She does feel a little bit bad about the amount of PDA she and Kara have been putting on, but at least she knows it’s PG.

Lena feels her phone vibrate in her pocket and fishes it out, knowing that the only notifications that can get through would be important. She furrows her eyebrows seeing a text from Maggie, and looks up at the brunette in question. Maggie nods at the phone and Lena looks back to it, swiping the notification and unlocking it. She sees a picture of her and Kara at the table, taken only moments ago. In it, Kara has her best puppy eyes on, trying to assert her innocence to an off-screen Alex while Lena looks lovingly at her wife. They’re framed by the bright windows behind them, giving their forms an almost ethereal glow.

She can’t help but smile at the picture and shoot Maggie a thankful look. She grabs Kara’s attention and shows her the picture.

“Mmh!” Kara nods, quickly swallowing her last mouthful of food. “Is that the one you want to use?”

“I think it’s sufficient. What do you think?”

Kara considers for a moment, mouth quirking to the side as she squints between the picture and Lena. “For you, I like it.”

Lena tilts her head, a smile pulling at the corners of her mouth. “But not for you?”

Kara grins at her easily, leaning forward and pecking Lena’s lips. “I have something different in mind.”

“Oh?” Lena looks back to the picture, really quite fond of it already. “Do you want me to wait to post it?”

Kara shakes her head. “No, go ahead. Tag me in it though?”

“Of course,” she agrees.

She quickly adds a few more adjustments, applying a light filter to soften the bright backlight and cropping the picture to make it more balanced. She pulls up her instagram and pauses for a moment, thinking of the right caption.

 **lenaluthr** I’m so glad to be next to the love of my life. I can’t wait to see where this adventure leads us. @karadanvers #justmarried #soinlove #karlena

She shows it to Kara for final approval, and with Kara’s nod and kiss to her temple, she links it to her Twitter and publishes it.

 

* * *

 

 

 **E! News** @enews  
Kara Danvers and Lena Luthor seen leaving the @EstesMovie premiere early - and in a huff. eonli.ne/2kET4BC

 

>   
>  **Elizabeth Wiley** @ewiley  
>  What do you mean a “huff”? Have you tried gathering the whole story before publishing speculations? #leavethemalone #karlena  
>    
>  **Lexi** @mechinelow  
>  how dare u talk about my children in such ways @enews! #leavethemalone  
>    
>  **Hello Giggles** @hellogiggles  
>  Say it ain’t so! Not our #karlena!  
>    
>  **Bryant Green** @bgbry  
>  The movie must really suck.  
>    
>  **Lexi** @machinelow replying to @bgbry  
>              @bgbry stfu your face u stale tortilla  
>    
>  **Markus Foley** @brwngshooter  
>  lena luther is so hot

Lena ignored the fans calling her name and trying to get her attention from the edge of set; didn’t look up from watching one black boot step in front of the other as she made her way to the edge of the lot. She barely responded to the security guard that wish her a good day as she got in the cast van to go back to the hotel. Her cast mates picked up on her mood days ago, and their interactions hadn’t gone further than a light arm or shoulder squeeze and a soft smile.

The weight of the phone in her pocket tempted her, but she didn’t want to disappoint herself by the lack of texts from the one person she wanted to text her most. Clenching her jaw, she looked down at her hands, hiding her face as they left the castle. She knew how awful she looked and had no desire to be under any more scrutiny than she had been since Saturday night.

It was such a stupid fight and Lena hated herself for letting it get so out of hand. It wasn’t like she didn’t know how difficult it was to maintain relationships in this  business. Both romantic and platonic relationships often suffered under the weight of fame and the time constraints of the job. She was angry, furious, with herself for forgetting that, for forgetting herself. She got so caught up in the honeymoon of the in-between seasons break, that the imminent separation from Kara — sooner than she had anticipated — hit her harder and more pointedly than she had thought it would.

The very fact that it happened so publicly was something Lena never thought she would have allowed to happen. Lena could normally contain herself, her temper, her emotions. Especially near her peers and the press and public gathered at the event. She didn’t know why the news had rubbed her so wrong. Whatever it was that night — exhaustion, stress, PMS, inebriation— did nothing but aid the drama and help escalate the situation into something bigger than it really was.

When the van dropped her off at the back of the hotel, she thanked the driver quietly, but gratefully.The hotel was blissfully quiet and her trek to the elevator was, thankfully, interrupted by the other guests. The rest of her journey to the room was quiet; the elevator arrived with a welcoming _ding_ and dropped her off to the silence of her floor.

Sighing as her door shut behind her, Lena leaned her head against it. The weight of the darkness of the room surrounded her, almost smothering in its weight. After a few minutes, she attempted to shake off the melancholy and moved into the room, the layout already memorized and familiar. She flipped a light switch, turning the bedside lamps on and casting a warm glow across the room that did little to warm it.

She set her belongings down and moved to the back of the room, passing the silent answering machine and going straight to the small refrigerator. She leaned down and pulled it open, not stopping to ponder the old take out or consider eating something, just grabbing the nearly empty bottle of top shelf scotch and shutting the door.

Lena sat heavily on the bed, uncapping the bottle and taking a healthy pull. She reveled in the burn as it settled in the stomach, but it did little to warm her. Instead she sat quietly, considering turning on the TV and searching through her Netflix queue. But the energy that would take she just couldn’t seem to muster up, so she sat drinking.

It wasn’t much later that the bottle was empty and her sobriety was questionable. She contemplated the empty bottle in her hand, mourning its end and the abuse it suffered, though her thoughts soon drifted back to the weekend. She stood, having to adjust her balance as the effects of the alcohol made its presence known. Looking around the room, her gaze settled on the bottle of wine she had ordered when she still thought Kara would be joining her. A wave of anger and heartbreak rolled through her, and she reached forward, unsteadily gripping the neck of the bottle. She walked to the bathroom, steadying herself against the wall when the room swayed and clutching the bottle to her chest like it was the most important thing in the room. She eyes the shallow tub when she entered, wondering if it would even be worth trying to relax in it when she knew it wouldn’t be as good as the tub she had at home.

A wave of homesickness so strong it nearly knocked her over washed over her, then. She wished, more than she should, almost more than anything, that she could go home to Dalkey and wallow in her self-pity. She wanted to surround herself in the place she was able to mourn the death of her father, the place she returned to when she needed a break from acting and being in the public eye. It was her sanctuary, and though she had intended to bring Kara there, it was still untouched and untainted by their relationship.

Or, whatever was left of it.

Shaking her head at the thought, Lena took a deep breath and turned the tap to the tub on, watching as it started to fill. She poured lavender and eucalyptus oils into the warm water, hoping that the calming smells would distract her long enough to attempt to relax.

After making sure she placed the wine within arms reach of the tub, Lena undressed and tied her hair up. She didn’t have to wait long for the tub to fill, and as soon as she shut the tap off she got in, sinking slowly and letting the heat envelop her until just her head is left above the water.  Trying to relax, Lena focused on her heartbeat and breathing in the calming steam. It wasn’t until her eyes started to droop that her mind brought her back to reality, calling upon the intense reminder that she was so very alone in her hotel room.

She missed Kara.

So much.

Trying to shake off the reminder and the ache of loneliness in her chest, Lena sat up, the water sloshing in the tub but not spilling over. She reached out and grabbed the wine, nearly dropping it in her haste to find something to numb the pain. Bringing it up to drink from, Lena frowned when her lips met wax. She forgot to uncork it. Just another thing that Lena couldn’t seem to do right.

She dropped the bottle over the side of the tub, ignoring the heavy clunk of it against the cheap tile of the hotel floor, and sank into the tub so that her head was fully submerged and she was free to cry.

Kara is her own person with her own life, and while Lena was a part of that life, she knew that she had no say in what Kara did. Especially when it came to her livelihood, and especially when Kara would never try to tell Lena what projects she could and couldn’t sign on with. Though that wasn’t exactly what Lena had done, she recognized that she might have been headed that way had the silence and the oppressive weight of the stares around her hadn’t reminded her that they were in public. Instead, Lena walked away. She regretted it almost immediately. She left Kara to chase after her and try to fight for their relationship, and Lena, who just couldn’t let herself cool down and take a breather, couldn’t just leave it at that. The hurt of Kara not telling her about the project, the dejection at realizing Kara’s trip to Scotland would be drastically reduced or cancelled altogether, the annoyance at herself for reacting so badly seemed to swirl and swell into a storm of emotion and tension that released with one small touch from Kara and fueled a fight of relationship ending proportions.

Lena didn’t sleep that night, staying up until the car she hired arrived to take her to the airport. She had paused at the door, turning back to face the bedroom and wondering if she should kiss Kara goodbye. She remembered taking a step forward and flinching when her heel clicked upon the floor. Despite knowing how her leaving without a goodbye would be interpreted, Lena turned and left, telling herself she didn’t want to wake Kara if she were sleeping, and that perhaps it would just be better for everyone if she left it at that.

The shame and self-hatred weighed down on her as she left the condo. The entire car ride and first few hours of the flight Lena replayed the night before. At the conclusion, every time without fail, Lena came up with the same result: Kara deserved better than her.

Those feelings followed her through the air, across an ocean, through hours in a car traveling to the small town outside the set; were still following her as her lungs burned beneath the water of the tub and her throat tightened around the sobs she couldn’t hold back anymore.

She surged above the water taking a deep breath that got caught in her throat as her chest heaved against the sobs. She curled in on herself and allowed the them to take over, ignoring the tears dropping into the water below her.

It took awhile, but eventually Lena was all cried out. The water in the tub bordered on tepid but she hardly cared, once again submerging herself to wash away the remaining tears. She gets out to dry herself, refusing to look at her reflection in the mirror. She hurried through her evening routine and made her way back to the room, robe wrapped loosely around her frame. She settled herself in bed and turned out the light, once again plunging the room into darkness. She let it wrap around her, numbing the outside world. She lay still, not tired enough to sleep, but too exhausted to think anymore.

So absorbed in her misery and the after effects of her crying, it took Lena a few moments to hear the light knocking on the door. She considered not getting up and letting the person realize she wasn’t interested in whatever it was they wanted. She did indulge a little, too; laying in bed for a few minutes as the timid knocking got more confident and demanding.

Annoyed, Lena got up, pulling her robe on and tightening it around her. She padded softly over to the door and paused just before opening it, hoping one last time that whoever it was would just leave. The knocking continued on though, so with a sigh Lena steeled herself and threw the door open, a glare already settled firmly on her face.

“Kara.”

Kara looked about as good as Lena felt: like life had beaten her down, chewed her up and spit her out. Her hair, normally smooth and expertly coiffed, was dull, frizzled, and flat. The shadows under her eyes darkened the blue of her irises and the tired tilt of her mouth let Lena know exactly what Kara was feeling. Without thinking about it, Lena launched herself at Kara wrapping her arms tightly around the blonde burying her face in her neck. Kara reciprocated the hug, pulling Lena closer to her, holding her just a little too tightly. Lena reveled in the feeling.

Pulling back, she softly shushed Kara’s whine of protest. She looked into the hallway, grateful for its continued emptiness. She pulled Kara into the dark room, and as soon as the door shut behind them, Kara was back in her arms.

“I’m so sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”

She felt Kara’s chest shudder with barely repressed sobs and knew it was going to take more than a simple apology to make up for her actions and words. She held Kara until the shudders slowed and Kara shifted to pull back. With a gently warning to watch her eyes, Lena turned to the wall and switched the lights back on.

“Here,” she reached out to Kara, entwining their fingers when Kara reached forward. She led her to the bed, sitting and patting the space beside her. She was worried Kara wouldn’t want to be close to her after her actions, but Kara settled next to her, hips touching and shoulder against Lena’s own. She leaned into Kara and took a steadying breath before speaking again.

“I should not have acted like that. I should not have blamed you or thrown your choices in your face.” She stared down at her lap, shaking her head when Kara squeezed her hand in reassurance. “I was wrong.”  She looked up and met Kara’s watery gaze. “I was wrong to say those things to you, to try to hurt you. You can’t know how much I regret my actions. I’m so sorry I made you feel like you couldn’t come to me with news like that. I’m sorry I affirmed your fears.” Lena couldn’t hold back the sobs anymore, and her next words were thick and choked. “I don’t deserve you. I never deserved you.”

Kara shook her head, vigorously denying Lena’s claim. “No. No that’s not true, Lena.” It was the first time she had spoken, and Lena nearly shied away at the hoarse strain and huskiness in her voice, knowing that it was her fault it was there. “I should have told you in the first place. You shouldn’t have had to hear it from someone else. I wasn’t sure I was going to take it, but I still should have told you that I got offered the part.”

Lena shook her head, looking away from Kara’s earnest gaze. “You shouldn’t have had to tell me at all. I should have been supportive no matter what,” she reasoned.

“You’re allowed to have feelings, Lena. You’re allowed to feel hurt and frustrated that I didn’t tell you.”

“I shouldn’t have acted upon those feelings though!” Lena’s outburst caused her to finally shy away. She stood up and paced away from Kara, not wanting this to become another fight. She just wanted to go back and curl into Kara’s warmth, to put all of this behind them, but she knew she, they, couldn’t move on without having this conversation. “I should have calmly talked with you about it when we got home. I should have cheered you on for picking up a new project!”

“Lena...” Lena continued pacing. “Lena!” Kara stood and grabbed Lena by the shoulders, stopping her and turning her so she had no choice but to meet Kara’s eyes. “I should have told you in the first place, but I wasn’t sure I was going to take it. I should have just talked to you so you weren’t blindsided by false information. And most of all I should have gotten up and followed you out that morning. I shouldn’t have just let you leave.”

“And I shouldn’t have left you.”

Kara nodded once and pulled her forward, bringing their lips together. Lena reacted almost instantly and brought a hand up to Kara’s cheek while her other curled around her hip. It was soft and warm and everything that Lena had missed in the last few days. She felt whole as Kara tightened her hands around Lena’s hips and stepped just that much closer so their bodies melded together.

“I don’t like fighting with you,” Kara breathed, not pulling away.

“The entire plane ride I felt like my heart was tearing in two,” Lena admitted. “I almost turned right back around as soon as we touched down.”

Kara laughed, but it was a weak, wet sound. “That would have been a little dramatic.”

“You’re one to talk,” Lena pulled back and looked around them. “Where are your bags?”

Kara looked at her sheepishly, biting her lip in such a way that made the dimple below her mouth flash. “I may have maybe not brought them.”

Rolling her eyes, Lena chuckled. “And you say I’m the dramatic one.”

“Well, you are the one who-,”

Lena didn’t let her finish her sentence, tired of the talking and the space between them. She brought their lips together and melted into the familiar rhythm and taste of Kara. She wouldn’t forget about the fight or how awful it felt, but Lena would be okay if she forgot what it was like to not be wrapped up in Kara. She guided them to the bed, gently pulling Kara down on top of her, already back in the familiar warmth.

Lena pulled back just enough to breathe and whispered, “I am so in love with you Kara Danvers.”

Kara brought their foreheads together and looked down at Lena, still trying to catch her breath. “It’s going to take a lot more than one fight to get rid of me. You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

 

* * *

 

“It wasn’t like that...! Yes… No! Of course… We-we didn’t… But!”

Lena presses her lips together, holding her laughs in as Kara sputters on the phone. To her right, Alex and Maggie are watching the exchange with shrewd, but interested expressions.

Kara turns from her pacing, shooting Lena a panicked look. Lena tries to smooth her expression, but judging by Kara’s offended look, she isn’t quite successful. Lena stands and makes her way over to Kara, putting her hand on her shoulder and stilling her. She can hear Eliza’s rapid talking through the phone and Kara’s cowed responses tells Lena that her foster mother is really laying on the guilt trip.

Gently, she takes the phone from Kara’s hand, giving her a small peck on the cheek as she does. She brings the phone up to her ear, still keeping eye contact with Kara as she interrupts Eliza’s tirade.

“ _-have any idea! I love you guys and all of you just_ -”

“Eliza, it’s Lena.”

“ _Oh! Good, Lena just the person I wanted to talk to!_ ”

“I’m sure,” Lena agrees easily. She knows she let Kara suffer much longer than she needed to, but in her defense, it was kind of funny to see Kara dig herself into a deeper hole.

“ _Do you hate me? You know, even Alex — Alex! — gave me a wedding! I love all of you girls so much and all I want is for you to be happy, but gosh darn it, it’s like -_ ”

“Yes, I understand Eliza,” Lena cuts her off, “So let’s talk about it. What can we do to make it better?”

Eliza’s much happier now, explaining to Lena exactly what she wants and would make up for the perceived slight against her. Lena agrees easily, knowing that, at this point, it would let her and Kara slightly off the hook for their actions. Not necessarily because she feels guilty _(she does, but it’s such a small feeling it’s near insignificant)_ but because she hopes that her children, if she and Kara ever get around to it, wouldn’t pull an elopement like they did. Plus, Eliza’s got a point. She loves Lena more than her own mother does. Whatever Lena can do to keep that love, she will.

With a warm goodbye from Eliza, Lena hangs up, keeping her face carefully free of any negative expression. Kara’s looking at her, a worried crinkle between her eyebrows and her lip pulled between her teeth.

“So,” Alex says, “you’re still alive. What did you agree to?”

Lena shoots a grin at Alex before turning back to Kara. “We’re having a reception when we come back.”

She takes pleasure when Alex scoffs and Maggie laughs, grins when Alex puts money in Maggie’s outstretched hand, and laughs herself at Kara’s paled complexion.

“It’ll be fine, darling,” she places her hand on Kara’s cheek, angling the blonde’s head to look at her. “It’s only one day, and Eliza is happy to wait until after we get back to start planning.”

Kara whimpers with the idea of it all, and Lena understands. There was a reason they chose to elope, though Lena admits that maybe Las Vegas wasn’t the best place to go. Though they both decided that Vegas was the easiest place to spread the news; no doubt someone would see them and tell the world for them, much like had happened when they first started dating.

“Do we have to come back?” Kara asks.

Lena smiles, her nose scrunching in adoration of her new wife. She reaches up to cup Kara’s cheeks and guides her to her mouth, their lips meeting in a slow but sweet kiss. It’s over quickly though, Lena instead opting to pull Kara into her arms in a warm hug. Her head rests on Kara’s shoulder and Kara’s arms wrap around Lena, leaving her warm and content.

“Darling,” Lena whispers so Alex and Maggie can’t hear, “we aren’t coming back until _Canterbury_ is over.”

“Oh!” Kara exclaims, pulling Lena tight enough that the brunette squeaks. Kara quickly lets go, her eyes wide and grin excited.

Lena widens her own eyes, pleading that her message of _play it cool_ is understood. No point in letting Alex and Maggie tell Eliza and upsetting her new mother in law. Kara seems to understand, turning towards Alex and Maggie and leaning against Lena’s side.

“So when are you guys leaving?”

The room is silent for exactly thirteen seconds.

“Excuse me?” Alex snaps, offended.

Lena crosses an arm across her stomach and buries her face in the unoccupied hand, breathing deeply at Kara’s complete lack of subtlety and Alex’s tendency to mistake her babblings as slights.

“I didn’t, that’s not what I-” Kara reaches up and adjusts her glasses, huffing dramatically before putting her hands on her hips, “You know that’s not- Alex!”

As Alex and Kara start bickering over what it was that Kara had actually meant, Maggie calmly walks across the battlefield and settles next to where Lena is watching the argument through her fingers.

“Aren’t you glad you married into this?”

Lena lowers her hand, gazing lovingly at the pair. “I really am.”

“God you’re gross,” Maggie makes a gagging noise, her dimples still present with the uptick of her mouth. They watch the argument of the sisters devolve into poking and eventually wrestling. “I’m really happy that you’re happy.”

Lena absorbs Maggie’s words, feeling love and affection bubble up in her chest, effervescent and warm. She never believed she deserved the kind of love she has now, but Maggie always understood Lena’s hangups. She was the person Lena went to when she needed to talk through her thoughts regarding Kara. The one who helped her formulate conversations that moved their relationship forward and connect with Kara on a deeper level.  Maggie definitely helped with Lena’s reluctance to enjoy family holidays and gatherings. Lena couldn’t be more thankful for the friend... no, the _sister_ she found in Maggie.

When Lena answers, both she and Maggie ignore the huskier quality to Lena’s voice.

“I am, too.”

 

 

* * *

 

Lena woke to her pillow shaking with a low chuckle. It felt early, though that was likely due to the late hours and tiring activities of the night before, and she was reluctant to fully wake up. She groaned when Kara chuckled again and tightened her arms around Kara’s midsection to implore her to stop, but that only caused Kara to shift, pulling her even more out of unconsciousness.

“Kara,” Lena whined, “Stop.”

She felt Kara shift slightly under her and a hand gently run through her hair. “Oh you’re finally awake.”

Opening an eye to glare at her girlfriend, Lena forced herself to mentally bypass the very nice view of the bare chest in front of her and ignore the heat that settled comfortably in her belly. The soft, sleepy version of Kara’s usual smile she’d had yet to see washes her annoyance away with a light sigh.

She settled her head back on Kara’s stomach, rolling her eyes and quietly huffing, “Well I am now.”

Ignoring the tightness in certain muscles and looseness in others, Lena sat up, angling herself so she was almost hovering over Kara. Lena watched as Kara’s eyes flicked down between them, growing darker before she returned Lena’s gaze. Kara leaned up and met Lena’s lips hungrily. Lena leaned into the kiss, carefully setting herself so she was closer to Kara without putting her weight on her. Heart rate picking up, she instantly responded to the way Kara’s hands trailed lightly over her side and back, moaning with the heat that spread out from her grazes. Almost unconsciously, Lena rolled her hips, the heat fanned into flames at Kara’s eager moan as she licked into Lena’s mouth and pulled Lena closer.

Lena pulled back to catch her breath. She leaned her forehead against Kara’s, a smile already making its way across her face.

Her voice was husky when and still slightly breathless when she spoke, but she felt Kara’s stomach clench with her words. “Good morning.”

Kara smiled like she was in on a joke that Lena wasn’t. “It’s barely morning, Lena.”

Lena frowned, not understanding. She lifted her head and looked for Kara’s alarm clock, panic overtaking her when she saw the digital numbers read 11:36.

“Shit!” She scrambled off of Kara, apologizing half heartedly when she accidentally elbowed her in the side. She got out of bed, nearly tripping in her haste to find the clothes they left scattered around the room. She pulled on her shirt, still looking for her bra, when Kara rolled out of bed.

“Have a hot date?” Lena heard the slight hurt in Kara’s tone and tried to relax. She turned to look over her shoulder as she picked up her pants, giving Kara a decent view and, just a little smugly, winked.

“No, that was last night.” Pride rushed through her seeing Kara blush and look away, a pleased lip bite hiding the smile she knew Kara wanted to loose. Lena turned back around, pulling on her pants, completely ignoring the lack of underwear in favor of trying to find her shoes. “I have a table read in,” she looked at the clock again, seeing it now read 11:40, “About 45 minutes.”

“Oh,” Kara sounded surprised, like she forgot about the rest of the world revolving without them. “Well in that case do you want to take a quick shower and I’ll drive you to the studio?”

Lena gazed at Kara, pensive. They would be cutting it very close, probably too close, if she were to shower, but at the same time she really would rather not go into the studio smelling of sex and sweat. Decision made, she smiled gratefully at Kara. “Really?”

“Yeah, no problem!” Kara cheerfully bounded over to the closet to pull out a towel and Lena had to rein in her sudden hunger at seeing the naked blonde in all her glory bouncing around.

Lena exhaled steadily, remembering the breathing exercises her therapist taught her when she was still a teenager and she got overwhelmed. “Holy shit.”

Kara tilted her head, a small, but adorable frown pulling the corners of her mouth. “Did you say something?”

Lena ached to step forward and pull Kara to her. She refrained though, with barely enough time to shower, she definitely didn’t have the time to get frisky in one with Kara. She shook her head and thanked Kara for the towel, leaving her to get ready.

The shower didn’t last long, the cool water making Lena hurry just enough to soap herself and rinse. Getting out, she was surprised that Kara had thought to track down her bra and provide her with a clean pair of underwear. She dismissed her makeup, only choosing to put on a light layer of lipstick, and pulled her hair back into a loose bun before making her way through the apartment to find Kara.

She found her in the kitchen pouring coffee into two travel mugs, dressed in a loose, but soft looking v-neck and a pair of sweats. Kara moved to put the coffee press back on the counter and Lena had to rein her libido in when the shirt slipped off one shoulder, leaving the smooth skin bare except for the thin strap of her bra. Lena moved forward, almost without thinking, and wrapped her hands around Kara’s waist from behind, leaning into her back and resting her head on the warm, bare skin.

“Thank you.”

Kara leaned back into her embrace, tilting her head just a bit to rest against Lena’s, and placed her hand on Lena’s with a warm squeeze. “It was my pleasure.”

Lena moved her chin and kissed the warm skin under her, enjoying the way Kara exhaled and seemed to relax even more.

“You know what would truly make it up to me?” Kara asked.

“Hmm?” Lena released Kara and moved to grab her coffee.

“If you let me pick you up and bring you back here for that sixth round you were too tired for last night.”

Lena laughed, nearly choking on the coffee she had just taken a sip of. “That _I_ was too tired for? Which one of us was the one that couldn’t handle being touched anymore?”

Kara blushed prettily and grabbed her coffee, moving towards the door. “Well we can still go for more.” She looked up at Lena, really seeing her for the first time since she walked in the room and laughed. “Lena, I can’t let you wear that shirt.”

Lena looked down with a frown that grew when she realized what Kara had seen. In too much of a hurry when she was dressing, she hadn’t noticed the state the shirt was in. Missing at least half its buttons and incorrectly buttoned at that, no doubt a side effect of Kara’s haste to get it off her in their frenzied hurry to get to the bedroom the night before.

“Do you mind if I borrow a shirt?”

Kara shook her head and took Lena’s coffee from her. “Middle left-hand drawer of the dresser. Just take any one of those.”

Lena hurried back to the bedroom, barely glancing at the shirts as she picked one at random, a blue and light gray baseball tee with the Supergirl logo on the chest. Lena chuckled as she threw it on, knowing Kara would get a kick out of it.

“Nice shirt,” Kara said with a grin when Lena rushed back through the apartment. Kara pulled the door open for her, kissing her cheek as she passed before shutting and locking it quickly behind her.

They made their way to the studio. The ride was quiet, but nice. The radio played on a low level, but Lena didn’t really notice. Instead, she watched Kara, enraptured as the blonde bounced and mouthed her way through the songs as they came on one by one.

They get there a little after 12:30, but Lena was no longer worried about being late when she saw some of the other actors in the project idling around the doors to the studio. She turned back to Kara, smiling when she saw the soft look on her face as she stared back at her.

“Thank you,” Lena said. She didn’t want to break the silence, really, but she knew if she didn’t she’d end up sitting in the car with Kara all afternoon instead of doing her job. “For everything. The date was lovely last night.”

“It was,” Kara’s response was soft. She looked out towards the growing number of Lena’s coworkers, her eyes widening and a grin splitting her face. “Is that J’onn?”

Lena turned her attention to the man walking up to the door, nodding at the others standing around. They seemed to be complaining about something, J’onn waving his hand around in an irritated manner. Lena saw her co-star, Sam, shrug and try to open the door, shooting a look to the director when it didn’t budge. Lena chuckled.

“Yeah, he’s the director on this project.”

Kara quickly turned her attention back to Lena, her entire being seeming to vibrate with excitement, but a cautious look on her face as if she were afraid of overstepping boundaries. “Do you mind if I go say hi?”

Shrugging, Lena unbuckled her seatbelt. “I don’t see why not.” She had barely gotten out of the car when she heard Kara squeal and throw herself at the director. Lena could admit she was a little bit shocked that J’onn returned the hug just as quickly,as she had no idea J’onn had any emotions past stern.

Lena walked up to the group, grinning at Sam when she shot her a confused look, but otherwise stayed quiet.

“That’s a nice shirt,” Sam said to her, a suspicious smile on her face.

Lena glanced up at her costar for a moment before her gaze wandered back to her girlfriend. She grinned as Kara excitedly talked to J’onn, hands gesturing wildly and a wide smile on her face.

Sam leaned closer to her, angling her mouth to Lena’s ear. When she spoke again, her voice was low, but still loud enough that, if they were paying attention, others would hear. “I especially like the back of it.”

Lena pulled away from Sam, shooting her a confused look. “What?”

“The back,” Sam nodded to it, “Where it says DANVERS? I didn’t know you were on her team,” she said with a wink. Lena maintained her blank look, confused as to what Sam is talking about. Sam rolled her eyes and pulled out her phone, snapping a quick picture and showing it to Lena.

Lena gasped and took the phone out of Sam’s hand. Pulled up on the screen was the picture of  a slightly confused Lena’s back, with, indeed, a very visible display of DANVERS across her shoulders. Lena tossed her head back and groaned, making Sam chuckle and Kara look over at her in concern.

“So what’s the hold up?” Lena asked. She crossed her arms tightly over her chest, trying in vain to cover the _Supergirl_ logo. Searching for the paparazzi vermin she knew tended to hand out around the lot, she glanced around suspiciously, like someone about to do something embarrassing and not wanting to be caught.

J’onn turned to Lena, his demeanor much lighter than she had ever seen it. “The door’s locked. Someone from custodial should be on their way to unlock it.”

“Oh!” Lena and J’onn turn to Kara at her exclamation. “You should have said something. Do you want me to pick the lock?”

Lena raised an eyebrow. “You know how to pick locks?”

“Duh,” Kara waved her hand, brushing off Lena’s mild surprise. “Alex taught me when we were teenagers.”

“Oh did she?”

Kara nodded happily, not seeing why that would be weird.

“Well thank you for your offer Kara, but I don’t think that will be necessary,” J’onn said. He nodded at the woman in the jumpsuit walking up and Lena gave her her own warm, but reserved smile. “Say goodbye to your girlfriend, Miss Luthor.” Lena whipped her head around to stare down J’onn with wide, unblinking eyes. J’onn, however, remained unaffected and turned around to enter the building, nodding and greeting Lena’s other costars.

When everyone was inside, Lena turned back to Kara, smiling softly at Kara’s nervous shifting and pink cheeks. She caught Kara’s hand as it went to unnecessarily adjust her glasses.

“So are you just going to tell everyone?”

“Uh, well. I mean, I didn’t… J’onn’s basically family, so I thought, um,” Kara stammered. Lena could feel her hand twitch, as if trying to shift to adjust her glasses or rub her neck.

“Kara, relax,” Lena told her. She stepped forward and grabbed Kara’s free hand, pulling the blonde closer. “You can tell whoever you want.” She punctuated the end of the sentence by bringing their lips together in a sweet kiss.

“Oh,” Kara breathed, “okay.” She blinked a few times and grinned down at Lena. “Call me when you’re done?”

“Of course.” Lena squeezed Kara’s hand once more before releasing it as she turned toward the door.

“Bye beautiful.”

Lena looked back, pausing halfway through the door. She winked at Kara and blew her a kiss. “Goodbye, darling.”

Lena walked into the building, heading to the room in the back where her cast mates were gathered around a large table, each taking their scripts out of their bags and settling down. When they noticed her, Lena was greeted with cheers, well-meaning jeers, and a few crude jokes.

“Ah, so now you guys know,” she remarked, getting her own things together and organized as she sits.

“Didn’t know you went for fans, Luthor,” one of her costars, Chris, teased.

“If I didn’t I wouldn’t have anybody to go after,” Lena shot back.

Her costars laughed and cheered her on and Chris nodded back, impressed.

“Alright, alright,” J’onn’s voice broke over the cacophony, all business once again. “Let's get to work.”

Everyone quickly settled down and the read started. This was always Lena’s favorite part of making movies. After the initial meetings when everything was mostly finalized. The read through allowed her the chance to test herself against the chemistry and the talents of the other actors, challenging herself to meet their talents head on.

It took a few hours, but they wrapped up by early evening, finalizing the changes to the script and announcing the first day of filming in the studio.

Lena called Kara while she packed up, grinning at Kara’s exasperated annoyance at how long the read went. Promising dinner, Lena pacified her and Kara hurriedly assured her she was on her way.

Chuckling as she hung up, Lena said her goodbyes to the cast and crew still hanging around and exited the building to wait for her girlfriend.

Outside the studio is quiet. The noise from the road barely traveled to where Lena stood, but she knew with rush hour underway it would take Kara a bit to reach the studio. She leaned against the side of the building and pulled her phone back out, intending to browse her social media while she waited.

In the middle of her browsing, a Google alert popped up, notifying Lena of a new mention of her name. She navigates to the article in question, referencing a tweet from a usually reputable source. She frowned, going to the tweet in question and rolled her eyes at the picture. She should have known when Sam was teasing her about it that her and Kara’s relationship wouldn’t stay quiet for much longer. As she stared at the image of her pecking Kara goodbye from earlier, Kara’s last name plastered over her shoulders, Lena sighed. It looked like she and Kara were about to be thrust into the gossip spotlight. “Oh boy.”

 **Hollywood Reporter** @THR  
It’s official! @lenaluthr and @karadanvers seen smooching in public! Congratulations ladies!

 

 

* * *

 

“And you’re sure you have everything?” Alex looks between them, eyes wide and worried. She clasps her hands in front of her, as if forcing herself not to grab them in another teary hug.

“Yes, Alex. For the last time, we’re ready to go.”

It was endearing when Alex first started to break down after she and Maggie walked them to the security checkpoint. Lena understands it, she supposes. Alex’s little sister is all grown up and moving on with her life, going on adventures that Alex can’t be by her side in. But after the third breakdown and fifth too-long hug, Lena is starting to get a little anxious about the possibility of actually missing their flight.

Lena looks to her wife in exasperation, only to see Kara pouting in the unmistakable way that she does before breaking down in tears.

“Oh dear lord, not you too.”

Kara turns to look at Lena, her eyes wide and glassy and her lower lip jutted out. “But what if we just brought them with us?”

“Okay, no,” Lena shakes her head and grabs Kara’s arm, pulling her a little further away from where Maggie’s comforting Alex. “Your sister and her wife are not joining us on our honeymoon.”

“It could be so much fun though!” Kara pleads, trying her best puppy eyes at Lena who quickly turns away from her wife.

“We love you both very much, but it is time for us to be leaving now.”

Alex sniffs, but nods, wrapping Lena up in one more hug before quickly shifting to her sister. Alex and Kara hold each other close, mumbling their own little goodbyes that Lena and Maggie can’t hear. As their hug starts to get a little ridiculous, Lena huffs and grabs her suitcase before turning and weaving through the line standards. “If you don’t start following me Kara, I will go by myself.”

“I think she’s serious guys,” Maggie backs Lena up. Her addition breaks the sisters apart and Kara hurries to grab her bag and follow Lena, calling out a slightly thicker-than-normal “Love you!” over her shoulder.

“So nice of you to join me,” Lena sasses when Kara catches up to her. Lena hands her boarding pass and ID to the agent. She’s glad they opted for the one stop trip, spending a few hours at JFK to stretch their legs before the second leg of the flght.

“I’m gonna miss them,” Kara sniffs, wiping her nose on a tissue as she hands her boarding pass to the TSA agent.

“Darling, we’ll see them again in a few months. It’s not like this is a permanent separation.” Lena walks through the body scanners, turning and stepping through to the other side when beckoned. She reclaims her belongings from the belt and puts her flats back on, looking up when Kara steps through the scanner herself.

Though Lena knows Kara is happy and excited for the trip, she can’t help but frown when she sees Kara’s red rimmed eyes. She can’t imagine how hard being separated from a loving sibling could actually be. After all, her relationship with Lex is rocky at best; only visiting him on the rare occasions she’s close enough to Cork to justify a trip.

Lena speaks when they’ve passed the security checkpoint, taking Kara’s hand in her own as they walk to their gate. “What if we invite them out to Dalkey before I start filming?” Kara looks over at her, eyebrows scrunched in worry, though worry for what exactly, Lena doesn’t know.

“Wouldn’t that be infringing on our time together though?”

Lena smiles at Kara’s concern, the warm feeling of love filling up her chest.

“No, love,” she says, “That’s after our honeymoon. I’d be more than happy to spend time with our family after we get back to the house.”

Kara’s expression remains blank for just a moment after Lena finishes speaking. Before Lena can worry that she said something wrong or insensitive though, Kara immediately softens, a small smile pulling up the corners of her mouth as her eyes shine with love. She stops and pulls Lena back, setting her suitcase to the side and pulls Lena to her. Lena leans into the hug, bringing her free hand around Kara to hold her tight.

When they pull away, Kara immediately takes Lena’s hand again and they continue on, as if nothing had happened at all.

“I’d really like that,” Kara says.

They pass a chain cafe and Lena stops. “I’m going to get a hot chocolate to settle my nerves. Would you like anything?”

Kara takes her suitcase and leans over to peck Lena’s cheek. “A latte would be wonderful. I’ll see you at the gate?”

“Of course, my love.”

Kara shoots her a grin and continues the way they were going while Lena queues up. She orders their drinks and waits patiently out of the way for their order to be called.

She texts Alex the invite to spend a few days in Ireland with her and Kara, but otherwise ignores her surroundings as she waits. It’s only when she feels her phone buzz twice in unison that she pulls it back out, grinning when she sees Kara’s tweet.

 **Kara Danvers** @karadanvers  
Guess I was right. @lenaluthr instagram.com/p/BaU6otPKL4a

 

 

* * *

 

 

“Augh!”

Lena turned to look back at her fiancee, annoyance building with incredulity. “Did you just punch yourself in the face?”

Kara glared at her, her hand rubbing over the newly formed red mark by her temple. “I'm not used to wearing contacts, Lena!”

“You wear contacts almost every time you film,” Lena sniped back, grimacing when her stylist pulled a lock of hair a little harder than strictly necessary. She shot a him glare that he sent right back, not intimidated in the least.

“I don’t know why this is so difficult,” Kara grumbled as she pulled her suit out of its garment bag. “It’s not like it matters in the long run, who cares what flowers we use?”

Lena clenched her teeth and shot a warning glare to the stylist before turning her attention back to Kara. “Flowers have meaning, Kara. We can’t have purple hyacinth decorating the tables.”

“It’d match perfectly with the tablecloths!”

“It means sorrow, Kara!”

Final pins in place, Lena stood and made her way to her own bag, smiling softly at the expensive fabric under her fingers. She pulled it out, marveling at the elegant cut and deep emerald color.

“You’re the only person that would know that, Lena.” Lena’s smile hardened at Kara’s indignance. They’d been having arguments like these for weeks. And while Lena loved Kara more than ever before, she knew that at the rate they were going, their wedding will either never happen or end in a bloodbath. Each decision was met with resistance and counterarguments, and more than once have ended with tears and breather breaks to settle them both.

They continued to get ready in silence, putting aside their argument long enough for the obligatory pictures that will document the night on their social media. They got into the limo in silence, Kara sitting with her legs out while Lena leaned awkwardly against the back of the seat, keeping her body straight so her dress didn’t wrinkle.

Lena’s voice was quiet when she finally spoke again, barely filling the silence between them. “Literally everything will match the tablecloths, Kara. They are beige.” She sighed. “I don’t want to argue anymore. Can we please just,” she shook her head and brought a hand up to rub her eyes, stopping just short, remembering the makeup she had on. “Can we just table the discussion and come back to it later?”

Kara looked over at Lena, a tired expression on her face already, despite it being just past four in the afternoon. She matched Lena’s sigh and slid her hand across the seat, palm up and inviting. Lena grabbed her hand, entwining their fingers. The glint of the diamond on her finger caught her eye and Lena marveled at it, knowing Kara’s sat just as firmly on her own hand, wondering how something that was supposed to bring so much joy was coming between them and adding unnecessary stress.

Kara loved her as much as she loved Kara. Lena knew that. And though they had had arguments before, they always came back to the other to work it out. Lena wondered when it would become too much. How much stress they could add to the cracks in their relationship, unable to repair them before the foundation gave way and it crumbled.

While Lena hoped that wouldn’t happen, or at least not over anything as frivolous as a one-time event, it still didn’t stop her worrying.

They pulled up to the carpet, Lena sighing in relief as the door opened to the noise and chaos. She stepped out, thanking the steward that offered her his hand. She waved at the fans that scream her name and turned back to the car to help Kara out. When the blonde is out and steady on her feet, Lena tightened the hold on her hand and pressed a light kiss to Kara’s cheek, much to the enjoyment of the fans and photographers.

“Ready?” She asked.

Kara nodded and took a deep breath, tightening her grip on Lena’s hand to help hide her nerves. “Ready.”

Kara put on her best smile and Lena did the same, their argument tabled and set behind them. She kept her gaze straight ahead, taking in the other stars as they all congregate to get their pictures taken. Lena tuned out the screaming fans, the noise of the camera shutters, and the dozens of conversations around them. The red carpet is always overwhelming, but for Lena it was even moreso today, despite not being the one holding a nomination. She looked over to Kara, taking in the tight smile and the wide eyes.

“Brad Pitt has really let himself go,” Lena remarked, just loud enough for Kara to hear. Kara turned to her, an affronted look on her face, but Lena spoke again before she could say anything. “He and Ben should join a lonely hearts, full stomachs club.”

Kara, despite herself, laughed. It was loud, and a little hysterical, but it seemed to release some of the tension she was carrying; her grip on Lena’s hand not so tight and her shoulders just the smallest bit looser. They moved forward, waiting for their cue to move on to their turn with the photographers.

“That was awful.”

“I know, but you still laughed. What does that say about you?” Lena joked, gently leaning into Kara before straightening.

Kara pulled Lena into her, burying her head in Lena’s shoulder for just a moment. “I really love you.”

“I really love you, too,” Lena said, rubbing her back, “But it’s our turn.”

Kara nodded and took a deep breath. She pulled away from Lena, a bright smile on her face as they walked forward and posed.

Lena expertly looked beyond the flashes, twisting and turning and showing off her dress like she’s done dozens of times. She held Kara’s hand, gave her a kiss for the cameras, and soon enough they were moving forward.

They’re almost to the theater when one of the women from one of the morning news shows calls for them. Lena was hoping they would be able to scrape by without an interview, but they dutifully made their way up the platform to talk with her.

“Kara, Lena, you ladies look absolutely breathtaking tonight.”

“Thank you, Gayle,” Kara answered jovially, if a little breathlessly.

“How is Hollywood’s biggest couple tonight?”

“A little overwhelmed,” Kara laughed.

Lena nodded, smile feeling like it’s been krazy glued to her face. “Someone is nervous.”

The interviewer smiled and leaned forward, placing a comforting hand on Kara’s arm. “Well this is your first big nomination, you have a reason to be a little nervous. I think you’ll be fine, though. You’ve got this one to support you. So how’s the wedding planning going?” She faced Lena, and turned as if to air nudge her, “You’re not going to dump her if she doesn’t win, right?”

Lena chuckled and felt herself tense against the clapback she wanted to say. Of course a straight person would assume that she would drop Kara for something out of her control, and quite frankly, a little bit elitist. Even if Gayle hadn’t actually thought it, it was more than likely that there are those out there that dislike their partner enough that a loss for an award would actually put a damper on their relationship. But, Lena hated to admit, a large portion of her fanbase is actually straight and her job depends on how well she can act.

Looking up at Kara and seeing her tense smile, Lena leaned into her, sliding an arm around her neck and pulling her down to her lips. She gently pressed a kiss to the spot where Kara accidentally hit herself earlier and turned to smile back at Gayle.

“I guess if she doesn’t win, I’ll just have to keep her.”

Gayle nearly melted at the conviction, cooing into the microphone at Lena’s words and Kara’s blush.

A hand slid over Lena’s shoulder and she tensed. She looked over and let out a relieved sigh at seeing her future sister-in-law sliding up next to her. “Sorry Gayle, I’m going to steal these two away from you,” Maggie said, her charming smile disarming any annoyance anybody might have felt at her interruption.

“Oh Mrs. Sawyer, how do you feel about Kara’s nomination going up against your wife’s?” Gayle’s eyes brighten at the prospect of good A-list Hollywood drama.

Maggie shrugged, an easy smile bringing out her dimples. She put a hand in the pocket of her tux and leaned against Lena. “Win or lose Kara’s still a huge dork.”

Gayle and Lena laughed while sputtered in sort-of-faked offense.

“Hey!”

“Oh you know it’s true, darling,” Lena soothed Kara.

“Yeah but she doesn’t have to tell everyone,” Kara muttered, forgetting about the microphone in her hand.

“Oh please, they already knew,” Maggie interjected, “But really Alex wants to see you before we go to our seats.”

“Alright ladies, it was lovely talking to you,” Gayle said, signing off to her costars. They say goodbye after a quick selfie for the Oscars Instagram feed and make their way along the emptying red carpet.

It didn’t get any quieter as they headed into the theater, but Lena felt calmer as they stepped away from the eyes of the public and into the thick of Hollywood’s elite. They met up with Alex just before the doors into the theater, Kara almost immediately ran up to and clung to her sister. It was almost cruel that Kara’s first nomination pitted her against Alex. Despite that, however, their relationship was still as close as could be, only changing in the amount of playful jibes and smacktalk against the other.

Lena watched them, glaring at the ushers as they eyed the sisters, waiting to seat them. She saw Alex say something to Kara, watching as Kara tightened her hold on Alex and clenched her eyes shut. Before she knew them, Lena had always been a little jealous of their relationship, but seeing it in action and occasionally getting the same treatment from Alex, she knew she had nothing to be jealous of. Alex treated her more like a sister than Lex ever had, and Lena loved that she’s a part of a family this closely bonded.

Alex pulled away and says something else, making Kara laugh and suck in a deep breath. Her gaze immediately found Lena’s and Kara smiled at her, holding her hand out for Lena to take. As Lena stepped forward, the music in the theater ahead of them swells into the telltale opening of the Academy Awards.

“Ladies,” an usher came forward, eyes wide and intimidated, “We really must bring you to your seats now. The show is starting.”

Alex stepped towards him threateningly, smiling when he gulped but stood his ground. “Alright, let’s go Maggie.” She turned to Kara next, “We still love each other, right?”

Kara’s grin was much more relaxed now as she nodded to her sister. “Always.”

“All right then. Lena,” Alex nodded her head, “Kara, we’ll see you on the other side.”

Maggie hugged them both goodbye and their usher led them to their seats. Another usher came forward and Kara and Lena follow, ignoring the noise of the settling audience and the monologuing host. They were led close to the front where all of the other big nominees were seated. Greeting the people they knew, Lena spotted Lucy in the crowd and made a face at her when Lucy stuck her tongue out. The usher stopped, showing them their seats, only two in from the aisle and next to two of Kara’s castmates.

They get settled quickly and enjoy the show. Though this was not Lena’s first awards show, it was her first time at the Oscars, and while she tried to enjoy her time and take in everything around her, it seemed to both drag on and fly by. Categories are announced, breaks are had, she and Kara both network with the actors and actresses around them, while other stars are ushered off stage by the crescendo of the orchestra.

Soon enough, it was Alex’s turn to present. Lena watched Kara as she looked on with pride at her older sister. Her smile was tame, but Lena could see the beginnings of proud tears gathering in the corners of eyes. Leaning into Kara, Lena watched Alex read the categories, a similar smile gracing her own face. She may not have known Alex as long as others in the business have, but she loved her just the same. It was nice to be able to cheer on her family and she felt a pride similar to Kara’s own bubble in her chest. She caught sight of one of the cameras zooming in on her and Kara, but she ignored it, not wanting to miss anything.

When the winner was called, she clapped politely, almost sad that Alex’s time on stage was over. She watched as Alex and the winner were escorted off stage for the post-win photos, and settled back in to watch the show. Kara and Alex’s category arrived before she knew it, though, and the tension she felt building in Kara on the carpet was back. The winner of best actor from the year before presented the category, a handsome face that most of the ladies in the audience swoon at, but Lena had eyes only for Kara. They watched as the screen behind the presenter showed clips from the various movies, grinning widely as Alex’s character snaps at the male supporting actor.

When Kara’s name was announced and the camera zoomed in on her profile, Lena couldn’t look away from her. She took in the radiant grin, the clenched fists, the twitch of Kara’s hand that let Lena know exactly how much she ached to fidget with her glasses or her hair. She missed the clip of Kara’s character crying over her sick child, knowing that the scene, as poignant and heart-wrenching as it was, was nothing compared to what she’s feeling now.

The others are announced, but Lena kept her focus on her fiancée. The proudness and love she felt was almost overwhelming. It was heavy and light and swirled in Lena’s chest until all she could do was lean toward Kara, bring her hand to Kara’s cheek, and turn Kara’s head so she could capture her lips. The kiss was definitely not something Lena would consider appropriate for the venue they were in, but it was short. She pulled away, her heart beating erratically, but not with anticipation of the winner. Kara gazed at Lena, her expression loving and much less anxious than it was before.

As the presenter opened the envelope, Lena leaned forward in the quiet anticipation and said, low and clear, “Marry me.”

Kara scrunched her eyebrows, but grinned in amusement. “That’s kind of the point.” She wiggled her ring finger where her engagement ring was settled comfortably.

The presenter announced the winner, but neither Kara nor Lena were paying attention, too caught up in their own little world.

“I mean now. Right now. Tonight. We can go to Vegas. Elope,” Kara’s eyes widen, but she didn’t look freaked out by the prospect so Lena kept talking. “We’ll leave here, get on a plane and just go. I don’t want to fight with you anymore trying to plan the perfect wedding. As long as it’s you I’m marrying, it will be perfect. I don’t want to spend another minute not married to you.”

Kara glanced toward the stage, seeing the winning actress climbing up the stairs to make her speech. Lena glanced up as well, following Kara’s lead, and felt just the smallest bit of shock that the world continued to move around them while they were in their own little bubble. She briefly noted that the actress wasn’t Alex and felt the smallest bit of disappointment, but when Kara’s lips met hers, it disappeared.

Kara pulled back, leaving Lena breathless. “Okay.”

“Okay?”

“I want nothing more in this world than to be married to you, Lena Luthor.”

 

* * *

 

**Author's Note:**

> Did... did you like it?
> 
> Once again thanks to [@thegrimllama](http://thegrimllama.tumblr.com/) for helping with that incredibly difficult PTSD scene. 
> 
> I take prompts! (even if they occasionally take a few months to put out!) [@relaxingwithhoney](http://relaxingwithhoney.tumblr.com/)


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